Goodbye Kelly. I will miss your smile and your wit :) It's always difficult to say goodbye.  Today we said goodbye to some people who have been with MercyShips for a very long time.  We all lined up on the dock and waved goodbye as three land rovers drove away with all our loved ones.  This is a week of tears...Thursday more people are leaving.
Lets see...other interesting news...We have a nurse working on our team in the galley now! She's an OR nurse so we got to learn some really interesting things about the OR today.  I learned that there are three different OR nurse jobs.  The scrubber, the person who is sterile and hands the surgeon all the cool tools and things.  I don't know the name, but the person who runs around like a "chicken with it's head cut off" (as Tilly described it) getting all the things ready for the sterile people.  And the nurse who helps with patient care, anesthetization and making sure the patient is OK.  If you are the scrubbed nurse you can't eat, use the bathroom or drink for very long periods of time.  She also told me that if i don't like bloody surgeries i should try to observe a cleft lip cuz t those aren't bloody.  So i might try to do that in Togo.
In other news, we are are packing up and doing lots of cleaning.  We are getting in "sailing mode" as people keep calling it.  Tying things down, packing things up, taking things off of shelves.
Last night started the beginning of Advent here on the ship.  We lit the first candle and watched a really amazing movie called the Bethlehem Star.  I would HIGHLY recommend it.  Here is the link
http://www.bethlehemstar.net/
The man who is giving the talk is a lawyer who sort of accidentally came across the question: How did the Star of Bethlehem happen? was it real? or something that the ancient church made up to add credibility to their story.  He gives an amazing presentation.  It was so jaw dropping to realize that there is astrological evidence that proves the Star of Bethlehem did in fact happen.  He uses astrological software that uses the formula that Johannes Kepler found to track the stars movement.  Using this software you can see what was happening in the stars at any given point of time in history, from any given point on earth.  This man has done loads of research and it is a phenomenal presentation.  He is a lawyer by trade, not an astronomer, so it's fairly easy to follow.
The ship is starting to get all decorated for Christmas.  We have a tree in the international lounge and are starting different decorating events around the ship in the upcoming weeks.  There is a cookie bake, a door decorating contest, dances and a Christmas play.  'Tis the season! (but honestly it doesn't really feel like Christmas...i miss my family).
Stay warm and drinks lots of hot chocolate!

Hello :) I'm so sorry that I haven't written in a few days! I've been working like crazy! we've had a lot of end of the outreach catering events.  Also a couple of weddings.  This last week has been so tiring, I'm glad it's over.  I have two more days and then i have a day off! yay! I need some sleep.
Tomorrow a couple of my good friends are leaving...this week is going to be full of tears.  More friends are leaving on Thursday.  I don't like good byes.
So...on that note i must get to bed or I'm going to be very cranky tomorrow.

                                            HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Today we bid farewell the our beloved day workers.  It was their last day working but we are giving them a thank you lunch tomorrow.
The last two days have been very difficult for the galley and dinning room.  We worked very hard yesterday and put on a fabulous thank you lunch for the people here in Sierra Leon who have helped us accomplish what we came here to do. The day was quite difficult because the lunch was quite late (2PM-3PM) and then we had to make dinner.  So we had a very long day.

Bintia taking sandwiches to the day workers for lunch.  I had to take this picture cuz she was crying the sandwiches on her head!

Here's the lunch! Chicken skewers, Beef Kabobs, Deviled eggs, tea sandwiches, seafood salad on homemade crackers, avocado dip with chips.  Lots of hard work went into this meal :)

The princesses of the dinning room! Thank you ladies for all your hard work!

Today we made a delicious thanksgiving day meal for everyone.  Thanksgiving is a little weird here because it's only Thanksgiving today for all the Americans on board.  The Canadians had thanksgiving a month ago.  and the rest of the world doesn't celebrate thanksgiving.  so i actually almost forgot it was thanksgiving.  I didn't have all those commercials, advertising and food sales to remind me.
Tomorrow some the nurses who are no longer working in the hospital (all the patients left today) are coming to the galley to help with food preparation because we no longer have day workers.  So prayers would be much appreciated that things go smoothly.
last but not least, here is a picture that i forgot to put up from when i went to African church a couple weeks ago.

Krissy and I with Iroro (our day worker) and her husband and two sons at their church

 Also, here's a picture that i was just given.  We were watching the sunset from the pier (i was informed it's a pier and not a dock, a dock floats and a pier does not).

Left to right: June, Lynette, Jenny, Kelly, me :)

Goodnight all and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Matt and I went into town today and i got some wonderful things! i found yarn that i've NEVER seen here before.  It's like the stuff i would get back home, good quality and very lovely.  I have no idea what i'm going to make but i'll find something to do with it i'm sure.
Today I went to the Cheshire Home.  I've talked about it before, but they are a Christian home for people with polio.  It's not just for children, there are adults there as well.  When we got there, we smelled a very odd smell.  It burned your throat and nose and made your eyes water.  We were told that a football (really it's soccer) field had been tear gased and the gas was still floating through the air.  It was an awful feeling/smell.  Thankfully it only lasted about ten minutes.  We sang lots of songs with the kids.  It's so wonderful to worship in Krio.  It's mostly English, so once you've heard the song a couple times you can sing with it. Today was the 'official' last day of us going there (however i think we will be going back at least once before the ship leaves).  Tiffany (a MercyShips lady who organizes the visits) put together a whole bunch of gifts for the people at Cheshire home.  They absolutely loved it! While we were handing out gifts the kids were all passing around my sunglasses.  They were so adorable!

One of the adults at Cheshire home...i can't pronounce or spell his name :(

Krissy and baby Isha

Showing off the sunglasses (mine or on the girl on the right)

A true fashion princess...look at that smile!

Marie and Me

I had to bed Marie to let me take her picture.  She is a truly beautiful girl

One of the kids wanted to take my picture...so i let them :)

I told them to make a silly face

Ladonn checking out the coloring book this little girl got

I love how the sunglasses are sliding down her nose! so funny!

Marie showing off the bracelet, baby doll, hair brush/mirror set, headband and candy that she got.  

One of the songs that really moved me is when all of these people, who have suffered so much physically  and emotionally sang a song that went: I need a touch from the Master, I need a touch from the Lord.  I thought how much they needed a touch from the Great Healer. And then i thought...He has touched them.  He has touched their hearts and minds.  They were so happy singing.  We stopped after like 3 songs and they begged us to sing more, so we kept on singing.  One of the little boys was conducting from his chair.  It was adorable.  Another little boy was using one of the cabinets as a drum and he had amazing rhythm.
On the subject of music, in American churches we have two clapping rhythms : slow and steady, or fast and steady.  There's really no deviating from those two.  Here they have all these crazy rhythms and beats that they clap and it's really freaking hard to sing and clap these crazy rhythms!  It's really funny at devotions or church on the ship you can look around and see the people who sing and clap and the people who can only do one or the other.  Oh the joys of different cultures!
That's all for now.  Emma

today i helped make lunch for the american ambassador.  We made a lovely southern meal.  Cornbread, BBQ ribs, potato bacon hash, and green bean casserole.  I made a banana cream pie for dessert.  I tried to read but couldnt because people kept talking to me :) The trials of living on a ship with 400 other people. After dinner Ken and i went and picked up some lobsters from a restaurant for another luncheon im helping with on Wednesday.  Other then that...not much happened :

Banana cream pie, Raspberry sauce and a sugar garnish

I don't have pictures of all the other dishes... :(

Today was quite eye opening.  The Minister Of Health invited some of the crew of the Africa Mercy to come and see her village.  She doesn't live there anymore, but it's where she grew up.  It was a very traditional village. We got to meet the chief and the chief's of neighboring villages.  Incidentally, one of the chief's had just gotten back from the states.  He is also a Reverend.  Another man (I believe he was an official or some sort) spent 20 years of his life in the United States and has a degree from Washington State University in Finance and Banking. THE WORLD IS SO SMALL!!!!!  Here are some pictures of our day

Our day started bright and early at 8 AM.  We all piled into this bus that was supposed to fit 25 people.  We crammed 30 people into it.  So cramped!

Some scenery we passed on the 2 and a half hour bus ride!  We stopped and waited for our camera crew (that none of us knew was coming with us!) and had some delicious snacks including beni cake (sesame bar type thing) and fried plantain chips, apple cider soda, bananas and other lovely things.

We passed a lot of villages, this is what one of the nice houses looked like.  It was so nice to get out of Freetown and into the lovely country full of trees and greenery and loveliness.

Another house

Upon driving into the village we saw the whole village had turned out to sing us welcome songs and dance for us! it was so touching!  The last song they sang was one that we all knew, i'm not sure what it's called but its in krio and we all have heard it and sang it many times.  Anyway...it was the last song they sang and we all joined in with them because we knew it.  It was one of the best parts of the day.

Michelle, one of the receptionists (a drama/music major!) and I sitting under a thatched roof shelter.

The woman speaking is the Minister Of Health.  The people behind her are all different people in her department and other dignitaries.  She told us the history of the village.  While other villages were modernizing and moving closer to the main roads, this part of the village stayed traditional.  She grew up here, her mother passed away here, she built a house and now is the financial support of the village.  She's working on building a small library/school for the younger kids until they  are old enough to walk to the big school.

This house i was told is a very sacred house in the village.  When I asked why i was told it is/was used for many rituals.   We learned that the father of the last chief  had 67 children and 60 wives!!!! 60! imagine the conflicts! imagine the drama! 

Some kittens we found :)

Laundry day! The building in the background was build in the 1940's, it survived the civil war.

I love the little girl with the bucket on her head :) Although i really took this picture to show how they cook food.

Another cooking fire, you could smell the wood burning .    Smelled so old fashioned and great!

It's rice harvest time and there were piles of rice just like this all over the place drying.    On the bridges, on the road, driveways...everywhere.  

Growing in the trees in the village

The girl on the left, was an amazing little dancer.  I was told that she actually won a dancing contest in the village and is known as the 'best dancer in the village'.  She was quite fun.  We had a dance party after we ate lunch and the kids would copy cat any move you did (or do their best to copy cat it).  There's a song here called Chomp my money (or maybe it's Chop...not sure) it's quite popular.  They played that song a lot and i just did random dance moves that all the little kids loved and would mimic.  It was REALLY sweaty though!

A rice field with some harvesters.  one of the guys in our group waded through the water out to the harvesters and got some rice plants/roots/i don't know what it was but it had to do with rice :)

Raw peanuts that were given to us.  The man picked the plants and in the roots were the peanuts.  I honestly had no idea thats where peanuts came from.  We washed them off and ate them.  Very delicious but very different from peanuts the way we are used to them in the US

We went to the Minister's ranch and saw her cattle.  Most of the people in our group were entranced., it was like they'd never seen cattle before. I thought it was cool...but cows are uh...cows.  

What i did find hilarious were the muck boots.  Even in Africa they have the same kind of boots!

The fod they served us for lunch  (clockwise starting at the top): Foo Foo (sort of like fermented dough...it was uh...interesting), pinapple (DELICIOUS), spicy rice (tolerable spice), white rice, chicken in some kind of sauce (REALLY spicy).  It was all very good but my mouth was on fire! I was told that they use a lot of spice to make you sweat, because by sweating your body cools down.  interesting.

This is the shelter that we were under.  I ended up getting a splinter because i touched the leaves that are the roof while we were dancing and I had my hands up.  The splinter hurt REALLY bad! But when I got home Krissy took a needle and dug it out while i cried :) But at least it's out now

Overall, it was a wonderful day.  The Minister said that she wanted to say thank you to MercyShips in a special way that we would remember.  I will definitely remember this day for a very long time.  

Hello! I apologize for not blogging the last couple days.  I have wonderful news though!!!! our frozen container arrived!!!!! Thank you to all the people who were praying about it! Everyone is very excited.  The galley staff has had some frustrations though.  It takes a while to thaw out 200+ KG of meat and some people don't understand that, so there have been some complaints that we didn't have meat today at lunch (the container came yesterday). But the good thing is that the container came and soon we will have meat!
On Tuesday we had a big luncheon for the Norwegian vision team.  We have vision teams come from different countries where MercyShips has offices to visit us and get a 'vision' of what we are doing and how they can support us.  I was asked to make the dessert. yay! here are some pictures:

Chocolate pecan tort with a honey chocolate frosting.

We had a mandatory safety training that we had to go to today.  Part of the training was about cross cultural communication.  We watched a video of a lady named Mary (She was the first west African crew member to serve with mercyships) giving a talk about cross cultural communication.  It was a wonderful talk! One of the things that i was struck with is that the West African culture is very rooted in tradition.  Their culture is very focused on respect and politeness.  One of the things that she said was that if someone came over to visit and they happened to still be there at meal time you had to invite them to eat even if you hated them.  You would never ever not invite them to eat with you because that would be so impolite.  Another interesting fact: if you are talking to someone older than you or someone with authority it is very impolite to cross your legs (that went for men and women).  I thought that was kind of strange.  In the West African mindset, if you dress nicely you obviously have enough resources to help someone else.  That is why they are always dressed up in lovely clothes.  Dressing nicely shows that you are in a position of fortune.  If you dress casually you are non verbally saying that you don't have enough money to dress yourself nicely so how can you help anyone else? that was a new piece of information to me.

On another note, today i sewed the worst seam of my life! I borrowed a sewing machine from the ship, had to find a south African adapter(it can be so frustrating have all these different types of plugs), and then proceeded to get extremely frustrated.  For anyone who knows sewing read on, for anyone who doesn't this might just confuse you :) basically there was no weight between the pressing foot and the little things under it that move the fabric.  So when you stopped to adjust the fabric or smooth out the wrinkles the fabric would slide all over the place and you'd have an extremely crooked seam.  When i was actually sewing i had to be extremely careful to pull the fabric in a straight line because if i let go for even a millisecond the fabric would slide way out of place.  it was a miserable experience...but this is Africa so what can i say? At least my fabric won't fray now :)

wow this is a pretty long post!  My final words are Jeff and Greta left today.  I'm very sad to see them go.  They were such a huge blessing.  I will miss them greatly.

There are many things I am learning here that i want to remember when i go home.  One of the phrases i never want to forget is this
"When Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future"
The pastor at the Africa church i went to today said that phrase.  He followed up with the thought that the only glory that Satan will ever know is in his past when he was in heaven.  Therefore, he lives in the past, in his former glory.  It makes sense then that he reminds us of our past.  He doesn't want to think about his future, because that would mean having to admit certain defeat to God.  We must think of our future and not our past because our future is living with God while his is destruction.  It was a very good sermon this morning.

Krissy and I waiting at Fourbey road to get picked up to go to church

A brief summary of the church we went to: There was a lot of singing and dancing.  When they clapped during a song it wasn't like a steady beat, they clapped in rhythm.  Very cool.  The little kids were so cute to watch, they were all dancing and singing (even like the 2 year olds).  Worship was about an hour long.  Then there was a message followed by testimony time.  He asked for people to share what God had done in their life.  I didn't understand much of what they lady who shared said.  It was all in Krio.  After that was a time of prayer and casting out of demonic forces.  That was interesting...definitely new to me.  There were two offerings.  One right after the other.  The children had a song offering.  They had all memorized different scripture verses and recited them.

The kiddos!

We were the honored guests, seated right in front.  They prayed for us and welcomed us from MercyShips.  It was a wonderful experience.  It was a very different experience from a couple weeks ago when i went to an african Anglican church.

Today was very full! Tonight was a fall festival on the ship.  We had carnival booths, prizes, popcorn, apple bobbing, candy and a costume contest.  I helped run the fishing booth.  Here are some pictures.

Krissy and I spent a couple hours during the day drawing and cutting out these lovely fishes

Some of the costumes that came through the fishing booth :) 

It's really cute because the kids all call candys sweeties.  I don't know why but everytime the fishing pole brought up a candy they would say "Oh a sweetie!!" it was adorable.  

This girl's hair actually does this on it's own.  There is no wire or anything in her hair!

Me and the fishing booth!

The guy with the mullet is our chaplain.  The scary part is that the wig actually looked like it could be real.

Evil geniuses disguised as regular human beings :) Love it!

After the festival we hung the fishes on our door and put our name tags by each fish :)

Hello Spokane!  Jay and i wanted to make sure we got a picture of us to send to Kids Community.  I miss you New Community!

I forgot to put up this picture the other day when Heather left.  My bunkmate is gone :(  I flipped her old bunk up last night and it was really strange having such a huge open space above me.  It really was odd. Heather i miss you!!!

Notice Marinas bandanna: Hannah Montana.  I thought it was really funny and asked her where she got it.  She said that her daughter is very into Hannah Montana and High School Musical. 

So i realize that tonight there are a lot of pictures and not really any content...hm...I will work on content for  the next entry.  I really can't think of anything interesting to say...oh! A question that was asked a while ago is what has to be done to prepare for sailing.  The answer is that i'm not really sure.  I know that i am attending a safety orientation meeting next week which i believe is dealing with different safety issues while we're sailing.  Extra precautions are also being made to avoid stowaways. The word stowaway reminds me of like the 1900's and reading stories of sailing and young boys wanting to become sailors and such.  But...stowaways is a very serious concern right now.  A couple attempts have already been made to get onto the ship via the mooring lines, either to steal things or to stowaway (notice i said attempts...none were successful to my knowledge).  So prayers would be appreciated that we sail away with only what belongs on the ship.
That's all for tonight ;)